Washington State Department of Ecology map
West Plains residents in the red area shown on this map are eligible to apply for free PFAS testing.
The Washington state Department of Ecology and the Environmental Protection Agency announced on Wednesday, Feb. 21, that people can start applying for the free testing by filling out an online form here.
The new efforts will help those whose private wells are outside of the area that's been tested by the military around Fairchild Air Force Base since 2017.
Until now, residents outside of that area had to pay for their own testing to learn if that contamination had impacted their wells, and many have not been able to pay for that.
PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) may have impacted wells throughout the region both from the base and the Spokane International Airport. Both facilities were required until recently to keep PFAS-containing firefighting foam on hand to fight fuel fires. Training with the foam was regularly conducted so that fire personnel knew how to handle the rapidly expanding material, which was later hosed down and leached into the ground.
The almost 15,000 chemicals in the manmade PFAS family are often referred to as "forever chemicals" due to their strong chemical bonds, which make them difficult to break down. The chemicals bioaccumulate in the body and are linked with high cholesterol, kidney and testicular cancer, reproductive health issues, and liver and immune system issues.
They're also found in common household applications such as nonstick cookware.
A professor at Eastern Washington University is conducting a study this year to better understand how that pollution moves through underground paleochannels on the West Plains, with grant funding from Ecology.
Late last year, Ecology requested help from the EPA to provide more testing than that study will be able to do, which is why residents can now sign up.
Testing is expected to start in March. Once the EPA shares the private results with homeowners, they'll be asked to voluntarily share that information with Ecology to better inform the EWU study and add to the state agency's understanding of the extent of the problem in the area.
Those whose tests find PFAS contamination may also get help accessing filtration systems and other safe drinking water options. More information can be found on a factsheet here.
AIRPORT CLEANUP
Meanwhile, the Spokane International Airport is in ongoing negotiations with Ecology to reach a deal to address PFAS contamination.
Located just east of Hayford, the airport discovered PFAS contamination in 2017, after the military testing around Fairchild revealed there was an issue.
However, unlike the military, the airport did not immediately share that information with the public or with Ecology.
As the Seattle Times reported last fall, it wasn’t until a private citizen received that information in a public records request and shared it with Ecology in 2023 that the state was informed. The airport was promptly added to a list of contaminated sites, much to the ire of airport leaders, whose lawyer wrote in a letter last summer that Ecology had jumped to conclusions about “whose PFAS” it was.
Since October, Ecology has been working with the airport's lawyers to draft an "agreed order" that will dictate how the airpot tests its soil and groundwater for PFAS and creates a plan to cleanup that pollution.
This month, the airport requested a second 60-day extension to finish drafting the agreed order (to ensure it aligns with federal regulations). Ecology instead approved 30 more days to get it done.
However, if the airport and Ecology don’t reach a deal by March 11, Ecology “will pursue an enforcement order.”
